In the past, I have scoffed at the idea of affirmations. You know, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me.” That sort of thing.

I don’t feel that way anymore, because I have realized every human being on the planet practices affirmations. It’s simply that most of us do it unconsciously. Most of us didn’t even take the affirmations we use.

Here’s what I mean: it seems to me that most of us have certain phrases, thoughts, and thinking patterns that we inherited from our nurturing environment as we were growing up. From our parents. From our peers. From our teachers. And those phrases ring in our minds no matter how old we might be today. Some common examples:

• “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
• “Look before you leap.”
• “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
• “Haste makes waste.”
• “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

I’m not here to debate the truth of any of those statements, I’m just illustrating that we all have phrases we repeat to ourselves over and over throughout our lives. There are, I believe, many other such phrases (and unconscious patterns of thought) that we repeat on a daily basis. We are unaware of these patterns, for the most part. They may be subtle, or they may be quite obvious (like the examples I’ve already given).

The spooky part, at least as far as I’m concerned, is the fact that most of us didn’t choose these affirmations. We are not even aware of them. We simply accepted them without critical evaluation. You might want to let that sink in.

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you’re automatically thrust into a leadership position. Others look to you for example. Don’t you agree it’s valuable to be aware of what you are thinking, day in and day out?

Suggested exercise: pay attention to repetitive patterns in your speech and thinking today-and ask yourself whether those patterns are helpful, or perhaps not so helpful.

Comments or observations? Leave them here on this page, please!

Most people know what to do – they just don’t do what they know.

This is why so many fail to achieve success with their business, with their weight loss program, with quitting smoking – just about anything that requires discipline.

And there’s the rub: achievement requires discipline.

Even discipline is not the magic ingredient of achievement, however; because disciple requires strength if it is to be sustained.

Strength cannot be faked. This is where people get stuck.

As Warren Buffet said, “When the tide goes out it’s easy to see who was skinny dipping.”

In life, the “tide goes out” whenever we start pushing against resistance. Pushing against a heavy weight is how we build strength in our muscles, and we build that strength by pushing against the weight on a regular basis. If we have not been meeting resistance on a regular, consciously created and purposely planned basis – we won’t be able to move the weight when it’s crucial to do so.

When it comes to achievement, the same principles apply.

Achievement flows from discipline, which requires strength.

Here’s the part that makes this all seem a mystery to most: strength on the outside only comes after you develop strength on the inside.

Mental strength comes first; take every thought captive and make each one serve your purpose.

This is the genesis of achievement.

Practice isn’t glamorous, but it is essential.

Remember Mr. Miagi from the original Karate Kid movie (I haven’t seen the new one yet… but I will… so cut me some slack, okay?)?

“Wax on, wax off…”

He had his student practice the most mundane movement (waxing the car), and that basic move became so ingrained that it was in muscle memory. It also happened to be identical to a fighting move.

Black belt proficiency from boring practice.

That’s the way it works.

What is your version of “wax on, wax off”?

How often do you practice it?

I believe you were created to do great things.

I believe every one of us was endowed by our Creator not only with “rights” but also with “potential”.

And I believe part of our mission here on Planet Earth is to unlock that little mystery box and enjoy the potentials that have been embedded inside us.

You may ask, “If we were created with that potential, why does it have to be a mystery?”

Because, sunshine, that’s what makes it fun.

Believe it or not.

So… homework for today?

Start working on your own “mystery box”. What were you sent here to do?

And if you don’t believe all that stuff about being “sent here” to do something… just pretend: what if you WERE sent here to do something? What would it be?

And what on earth could be more important than (a) figuring that out and (b) DOING it?

If you think this has nothing to do with business… well, you’re just not thinkin’ hard enough.

Aloha,

Ray Edwards

PS – If your mission here on this planet involves using the Internet to communicate, you may want to check out my quick & easy guide to success online: http://21Fundamentals.com

When I watched this I cried. Not out of pity for Nick. He doesn’t need my pity — and he has my admiration.

No, I cried because I realized just how often in the past I had wasted the gifts that God gave me, and decided instead to buy into lies about what is possible in life, lies about what it takes to be happy, lies about who I am, and even worse… I bought into lies about who God is.

When I had my cry, I wiped my eyes, and I “got up”. How about you? Will you “get up”?

Here’s the video:

Here are 7 ways to define success that are guaranteed to make you feel like crap:

1. Your bank balance.
2. How fancy your car is.
3. How fancy your house is.
4. How fancy your clothes are.
5. The shape of your body.
6. How other people see you.
7. How popular you are.

Here is a definition of success that, if you believe and practice it, will allow you to feel great (and be great)… no matter what your external circumstances might be:

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.”
~ Earl Nightingale

(Hint: the key words are “progressive” and “worthy”.)

My answer: never. Here’s why…

Disputes of almost any kind always seem to devolve when one party questions the motives of another party.

The funny thing is, it’s virtually impossible to know for certain someone else’s motive for any given action or statement.

“Thought experiment” to see if I’m right: the next time you think you know why someone says or does a particular thing, stop and see if you can come up with 2 or 3 other explanations for why they may have said or done that same thing.

An even more interesting (and instructive) “thought experiment”: try coming up with explanations that are only positive in the motives you attribute to the other person… and then come up with an equal number of explanations that are only negatively motivated. Compare the two lists, and ask yourself: which ones look like the motives I most often instinctively ascribe to other people?

What did you learn?

It’s 2010.

New Year.

New possibilities.

Many of us will be making resolutions today for the new year — and many of us have already made those resolutions. And for most people, those resolutions will be broken before the calendar changes to February.

But that doesn’t have to be the case for you.

Knowing that most people break their resolutions is not a good reason for not even trying, is it?

For me, resolutions represent hope and aspiration. I applaud everyone making resolutions; and I challenge you to stick with them! Change can happen, and does; it is possible for you to stick with your resolutions. The real question is: will you?

Here are mine — a simple list, but high-leverage…

Ray’s 2010 New Year’s Resolutions

1. Love God.
2. Love others.
3. Create value.
4. Create happiness.
5. Be here now.
6. Clean up messes.
7. Simplify.

How about you? What are yours? Post them below — or post a link to your own blog entry.

These are worth thinking about as we enter the New Year.

1. The transmission of information does not equal  the creation of understanding.
2. More time does not usually create better decisions.
3. The message you are preaching is not nearly as persuasive as the message you are living.

Friday in Allentown, a robber walks into a Wachovia bank branch in Allentown, PA.

Intends to rob the place.

Picks a 78-year old bank teller as his target. I guess he figured she would be a pushover.

Boy was he wrong.

Our Spunky Septuagenarian, whose name is Helen Roth, gave the robber a piece of her mind – but didn’t give him ANY money.

She told him to scram.

And that’s what he did.

Here’s The Million-Dollar Question

I wonder… if it was me, would I have done what Helen did?

What about you?

Sometimes all we can do in a scary situation is the brave thing. That’s what Helen did.

And you know what? This danged recession is just like that robber.

Wants to take our money. Unfairly.

Already has taken some people’s jobs and businesses.

But in my heart of hearts, I don’t believe we need to give in. I think the WRONG ANSWER is to start shaking in our boots, handing over the money bags to Mr. Recession as if he were a gun-toting bank robber.

Because there ARE answers, Faithful Reader.

How To Deal With A Robber Named Recession

In today’s world, you have a power never available in previous recessions – you have the Internet.

You can start a new business on the Internet. With less than $100.

There are dozens of ways to make a very good living online. Such as:

• Sell information (how-to guides, etc.)
• Sell services (web design, writing, programming, etc.)
• Open your own store in the world’s biggest mall (eBay)
• Hang out your shingle as a consultant.

And the list could be much longer, but you get the idea.

OR…

You can save your EXISTING business using the power of the Internet. No traditional advertising required. How?

Just use some basic direct response techniques to give your business a “cash infusion”. (This is a bit more complex than the first option I mentioned, but there’s plenty of information out there on the danged ol’ Internet on how to do this, much of it on this very blog, and teaching you that stuff was not the point of this missive anyway).

So what is my point?

Simple.

Stop trembling behind the counter.

Stop making excuses (”I’m too old”… “it’s not fair”… “I don’t know what to do”…) and just, if I may be permitted, have some guts.

If the recession is robbing YOU of sleep, peace of mind, or money…

…look that robber in the eye and say, “Not today, Mister. Get outta here!”

Helen will applaud you.

And so will I.

‘Nuff Said,

Ray